Eclipse on iOS

jeb wrote: Not sure why everyone is complaining about Plasma Missiles. They end shit quick if you get some decent computers, especially with lumbering beasts like Dreadnaughts that don't have much initiative. They don't use energy either. What's not to like?

I don't like the AI using them in the last round to steal my monolith and the center tile I won midway though the game!

I have yet to beat the AI but count me in for async. Brynnum ( a) gmail.com

mads b. wrote: I have yet to beat the AI but count me in for async. Brynnum ( a) gmail.com

The AI is definitely solid. I've won about a third of my games against the Normal setting, so I'm definitely not ready to try against the hard AI. I've won with all races so far except the Eridani... I've tried about 5-6 times now with them but no dice. Something about having all of that money to begin with seems like a big advantage, but I haven't figured out a good way to keep balanced and strong after the first few turns.

The plasma missiles... yeah, they can be super powerful. But knowing that, you need to get them if they show up, or find a way to avoid those who have them and get points other ways, or add some shields, which are a good deterrent against missiles (and the missiles only fire the first round, so if you can survive that, you're in good shape). They're great to have, but not the be-all-end-all for winning. There are a couple of other ways to deal with the missiles in the expansion, but for now, go with shields to defend against them, find ways to pin the missile fleets or avoid them (while they get one sector, you can get another), or get the missiles yourself if at all possible.

The game and app are both fantastic, but one negative against the game is the potential for some bad luck to hose you early on. I suppose that's the case with many games, but for a longer meaty game like Eclipse it can be frustrating if you don't happen to draw enough tiles that have money planets (or only have the advanced money planets which you can't access), or if you lose some early fights against the ancients. There have been games that I bailed on after a few turns, knowing there wasn't much chance of recovering. (Btw, I definitely wouldn't do that in a multiplayer game, but sometimes against the AI there's no point in trudging on to a likely loss.) I've learned to be more careful about only fighting the ancients when I'm sure I can beat them, but sometimes there's not a lot you can do, and the money planet thing can really hurt... if you don't have enough money, you can't do much of anything with limited available actions.

But regardless of the chance of that, many of the games have been amazing, with some very close endings and epic battles. Definitely one of the very best board game apps ever.

Grudunza wrote: I've won with all races so far except the Eridani... I've tried about 5-6 times now with them but no dice. Something about having all of that money to begin with seems like a big advantage, but I haven't figured out a good way to keep balanced and strong after the first few turns.

The game and app are both fantastic, but one negative against the game is the potential for some bad luck to hose you early on. I suppose that's the case with many games, but for a longer meaty game like Eclipse it can be frustrating if you don't happen to draw enough tiles that have money planets (or only have the advanced money planets which you can't access), or if you lose some early fights against the ancients. There have been games that I bailed on after a few turns, knowing there wasn't much chance of recovering. (Btw, I definitely wouldn't do that in a multiplayer game, but sometimes against the AI there's no point in trudging on to a likely loss.) I've learned to be more careful about only fighting the ancients when I'm sure I can beat them, but sometimes there's not a lot you can do, and the money planet thing can really hurt... if you don't have enough money, you can't do much of anything with limited available actions.

Yeah, that's basically what happened to me in my first 2-player game against my brother. I was Eridani. I couldn't find a money planet via exploration, all I had were science planets. I tried to go up against some ancients and got wiped. So I had no money, no materials and was so far in influence debt I had to abandon all of my hexes. We bailed. It was miserable.

But I really do like the game, I just got screwed in that instance.

metalface13 wrote: Yeah, that's basically what happened to me in my first 2-player game against my brother. I was Eridani. I couldn't find a money planet via exploration, all I had were science planets. I tried to go up against some ancients and got wiped. So I had no money, no materials and was so far in influence debt I had to abandon all of my hexes. We bailed. It was miserable.

But I really do like the game, I just got screwed in that instance.

Yeah, that's exactly what I mean... In the 20+ games I've played now, that kind of thing has happened 3-4 times. But I'm at the point now where I know when it's hopeless because of that and can just bail on the AI. I'm wondering if there are some Eclipse experts who know how to deal with that and come back from it. Presumably, it can be done, but I'm not at the point yet where I want to bother to try.

So have you started playing each other yet?

We're trying to, but I don't think any of them have started yet.

Actually, we've all been waiting for about 23 hours while Casey is offline. AHEM.

jeb wrote: Actually, we've all been waiting for about 23 hours while Casey is offline. AHEM.

Oh, you're going to be the first player I crush underneath my galactic boot.

These games are going to take FOREVER. I definitely wouldn't have gone with a 6p. What I think we should do is forget the ones we've (barely) started and form a tournament and play several 3p games. What do you say?

Yep. I resigned. Set up 3FastFATties. If you are in, make a move a day, maybe two. Hup hup.

Seriously folks! You're killing the dream! You can't take your ipad with you on the toilet for 10 mins a day?

jeb wrote: Yep. I resigned. Set up 3FastFATties. If you are in, make a move a day, maybe two. Hup hup.

I started a 3p game and NONE OF YOU JOINED. What does Jeb have that I don't? Or is my B.O. so bad you can smell it across the Atlantic?

I'll join this when I get home, if there's space.

I have joined every game I was invited to. One was my own, the other was a 4p game that never got a 4p.

I don't think I've gotten those invites.

caseyrog at gmail